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Hello from Seagrove, NC.....

I'm Tom Gray, a dad, potter, avid cook and reluctant gardener. Seagrove is home to over 80 potteries, and it's ongoing tradition stretches back to almost 250 years. I make pots for the kitchen and dining room - plates, bowls, cups, that kinda thing. I raise some of our food, have some laying hens, and have all the materials stacked to build a wood-burning oven, when time allows. I've been using MAC's for years now, and have a Moritaka 240 gyuto and a Konosuke 150 petty. Knives to me should fit the form follows function equation, and are also sculptural. I'm enjoying looking at the pix of your collections as well as what you're making. All for now.

Your work is very nice, I wonder what you would come up with should you try to make shaving mugs/scuttles? It's not our thing here obviously but there's lots of wet shavers all over these days so you never know about interest. I know that I'm drawn to them.

Dave, odd that you should mention it -- I've been looking through some of my old stuff trying to find my great-grandfather's ivory handled straight razor. So far, no luck. I hauled it around for a long time, but have no idea where it could be now :-( I've made shaving mugs before, close to 30 years ago. I just need some basic soap dimensions to start making them again. Is a scuttle the same as a mug? Thanks for the comments, and Jim, thanks for linking/posting some of my stuff.

BTW Seagrove is the home to some of the countries best and most talented potters who make some absolutely splendid items. If anyone has a chance to visit there, the town is quite small but it will take several days to see all the potters. Well worth the trip and time.

Dave, odd that you should mention it -- I've been looking through some of my old stuff trying to find my great-grandfather's ivory handled straight razor. So far, no luck. I hauled it around for a long time, but have no idea where it could be now :-( I've made shaving mugs before, close to 30 years ago. I just need some basic soap dimensions to start making them again. Is a scuttle the same as a mug? Thanks for the comments, and Jim, thanks for linking/posting some of my stuff.

Oh man I sure hope that you find your Grandfather's razor, what a treasure that would be to have.

Mugs and scuttle are different things from one another. A mug is used to make lather either on top of the soap or where the soap has been transfered into the mug by the brush and then whipped up.

A traditional scuttle (all up until modern times) was a vessel that stored hot water in the bottom where a brush could be inserted into the water to get warm and then the soap sat on top (over the water) on a shelf that would keep the soap warm. You worked the brush on the soap and then face lather from there.

Modern scuttles are a twist where it's a bowl in a bowl. The hot water is placed in a cavity that is between the outer bowl and inner bowl. Soap is transfered to the scuttle by way of the brush and then whipped up in the bowl. Some versions have removal inner bowls.

Did I get that right Jim?

If I were you I'd search around the shavings sites for more info. Try Badger & Blade first.

Well said Dave,
Here is a Sara Bonnyman Scuttle and lather bowl. The soap is in a third container, the brush is loaded, then either face lathered or moved to the bowl and the lather is created. The scuttle is used like a docking station to keep your lather warm.